Weddings are all about toasts and speeches. Everyone is used to hearing from the Best Man, the father of the bride, and more recently, from the Maid or Matron of Honor. What is gaining in popularity is the Bride's Speech, a way for her to welcome the guests and verbalize her feeling about her most special day. Albeit there are brides who can speak well extemporaneously, and there are no formalized rules regarding content, some preparation is advisable, and although each bride can express herself uniquely, there are some things should always be included.

Thank you's are always in order. Of particular note are guests who have traveled a long distance. The bride can use the opportunity to mention any special people who were unable to attend, due to extenuating circumstances. Sometimes there are guests who have contributed to the wedding with homemade or handmade items and, or have participated in any special way. It's appropriate for the bride to mention and thank those people. .

Weddings have become increasingly expensive from the perspective of the guest. Not only will they present the couple with a wedding gift, but they may also need to purchase apparel, incur travel expenses and sometimes, pay for lodging. With all of that in mind, a big thank you for their gifts is appropriate for inclusion. Some brides conclude their speeches with a thank-you toast to their guests.

As always, preparation makes perfect and it behooves the bride to spend a fair amount of time not only thinking about the content of her speech, but also about the particular words she will use, her own, or those of others. Because there is not set pattern and established etiquette for the bride's speech, she may use the time to tell about amusing events that preceded the wedding and include in her stories as many of the people who are present as possible. Everyone feels good about hearing their name mentioned. Whether it is pre-wedding glitches, or a summary of pre-wedding party activities, "light" is the motto for this part of her speech.

There are probably several people, co-workers, friends and family who have stretched their patience and pushed aside their feelings in order to support you on the path to your wedding day. This then becomes a wonderful moment to thank all those people and promise them that, now that the big day has arrived, you will be getting back to your "old" self.

Many of today's couples are writing their own vows and expressing themselves to one another in a unique, personal way. This feeling can be carried over into the bride's speech and she can use her few moments to give her new husband a personal message, expressing her special feelings toward him on their special day.

There are no doubt brides who will feel that the speech is a time to share more serous issues with their family and friends. Some, explain their philosophy of love and marriage and elaborate on what their commitment to the marriage is about. This then becomes a wonderful way to honor her mother and/or father by explaining what she has learned from them and how they set an example which she wishes to follow. Of course, this then segues perfectly into thanking her parents for their participation in the wedding, fore their moral support and for their wise counsel. The bride's speech also is an opportunity for her, with her words, to . With a few words of thanks and recognition, she sets the stage for the future relationship she will have with her husband's family.

The bride should make an effort to not repeat what has already been said by others.< This may require some off-the-cuff, last minute revisions, or easier and better yet, is for her to ask about the content of others who will make speeches and coordinate with them, in advance. Because the bride's speech has not etiquette history, guests will not have any particular expectation about its content, so the bride has free rein. That can be delightful, allowing her freedom and flexibility, but it also presents an obligation and responsibility for her to be mindful of and careful about the style, content and length of the talk.

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